Dial drive for knitting machines



Dec. 14, 1965 MISCHON DIAL DRIVE FOR KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1963 R m w W LESTER MISHCON ATTORNEY Dec. 14, 1965 L. MISCHON DIAL DRIVE FOR KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1963 Fig. 4.

INVENTOR.

LESTER M/SHCON ATTORNEY Dec. 14, 1965 1.. MISCHON 3,222,889

DIAL DRIVE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 6, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. LESTER MISHCON WITNESS BY 4 Z 5 4,95% F wm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,222,889 DllAL DRlWE FOR KNITTING MAtIHlNES Lester Mischon, Miami Beach, Fla, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 6, 1963, Ser. No. 278,114 7 Claims. (Cl. 6628) This invention relates to circular knitting machines of the type referred to in the art as cylinder and dial machines including cooperating needle banks, one needle bank carried in a cylinder and the other needle bank carried in a dial arranged substantially perpendicular to the cylinder. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel and improved means for synchronously driving the needle banks of a cylinder and dial knitting machine.

The tubular fabric web produced on a circular cylinder and dial knitting machine passes from the needles between the cylinder and the dial. Known drive arrangements between the cylinder and the dial might be categorized as one of two types; those arranged entirely outside the tubular fabric web, and those directly between the cylinder and the dial in which forces are transmitted through the fabric web.

Outside dial drives involve serious problems of maintaining predetermined registration between cylinder and dial needles stemming from the multiplicity of connections between which accumulated tolerances are not only inherent but also subject to changes, for instance, as the parts wear.

Known dial drives directly between the cylinder and the dial and comprising interengaging lugs or wheels between which the fabric web passes, involve the possibility of injurious marking of the fabric web. Since knitting machines are progressively becoming larger in diameter and with more complex needle actuating and needle selecting mechanisms, driving forces of increasing magnitude are required. Dial drives directly between the cylinder and the dial which were satisfactory with prior art knitting machinery are generally not able to function without serious fabric marking problems in modern knitting machinery.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel and improved dial drive directly between the cylinder and the dial of a circular knitting machine.

An object of this invention is to provide a dial drive directly between the cylinder and the dial of a knitting machine in which a single pair of cooperating drive elements at opposite sides of the fabric web sulhce to transmit the forces necessary to drive the dial of a modern knitting machine without injurious marking of the fabric web.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a knitting machine dial drive directly between the dial and the cylinder, and thus through the fabric web, including a dial driving wheel which, in addition to bodily dial driving motion in synchronisrn with that of the cylinder, is rotatably driven about its own axis at a peripheral speed automatically maintained in unison with that of the fabric web through which the dial drive is accomplished.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved driving roller construction for a direct dial drive in a knitting machine which will eliminate injurious marking of the fabric web and minimize variation in registration of cylinder and dial needles despite changes in fabric density being knit on the machine.

With the above and additional objects and advantages in view, as will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of ice parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of a portion of the cylinder and the dial of a knitting machine having the dial drive of this invention applied thereto,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the drive elements between the cylinder and the dial of the knitting machine of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the drive elements of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 represents a side elevational view at reduced scale of a frame for the knitting machine illustrated in FIG. 1 including the needle cylinder, the knitting machine driving mechanism, and the fabric web take-up mechanism, having features of this invention applied thereto,

FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the fabric web take-up mechanism illustrated in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a left side elevational view of the fabric web take-up mechanism illustrated in FIG. 4', and

FIG. 7 represents a vertical cross-sectional view through the dial and cylinder of a knitting machine similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 4 but including a modified form of the dial drive of this invention.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings, 11 indicates a supporting leg of a knitting machine frame of which a plurality sustain a cylinder housing ring 12. A gear ring 13 formed with depending gear teeth 14 is journaled between the housing ring 12 and a retaining ring 15 secured to the housing ring. The gear teeth 14 mesh with a pinion 16 fast on a drive shaft 17 journaled relatively to the housing ring and driven, for instance, by an electric motor 18 and a clutch device 19. A needle cylinder 20 is secured so as to turn with the gear ring 13 and is formed on the outer wall with evenly spaced vertical slots 21 adapted to accommodate therein a bank of endwise slidable cylinder needles 22. Indicated at 23 in FIG. 1 is one of a plurality of section blocks secured about the retaining ring 15 and adapted to support cam means 24 or the like for influencing endwise reciprocation of needles in the cylinder 20 as the cylinder and the needles therein rotate relatively to the section blocks.

Sustained coaxially of the cylinder by a framework extending from the housing ring 12 of the machine frame is a fixed cylindrical stud 3i. Journaled to turn freely on the stud 31 is the hub portion 32 of an annular dial support 33, the hub portion being sustained on the stud by the collar 34 fixed on the stud. An annular needle supporting ring or dial 35 secured to the periphery of the dial support 33 is formed with upwardly open radial needle accommodating slots 36 in which is slidably arranged a bank of dial needles 37. The dial needles are caused to reciprocate radially of the dial when the dial is turned by engagement of the dial needles with cam means 38 fixed on a dial cam ring 39 secured on an annular cam ring support 40 fixed relatively to the stud 31.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and 3, the driving connection between the cylinder 20 and the dial 35 comprises a bracket secured by screws 51 to the gear ring 13 inside the cylinder 2%. Journaled on a stud shaft 52 extending substantially radially of the cylinder 20 between bifurcated arms 53 on the bracket 50 is a bevel gear 54 to the hub 55 of which is fixed a beveled wheel 56 formed with a counterbore 57 enveloping the bevel gear 54.

Disposed in the path of motion of the beveled wheel 56 as it is moved with the cylinder as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2 is a crowned wheel 58 carried on a stud shaft 59 journaled in a bracket 60 secured to the dial support 33. The bracket 64) may be formed with an elongate aperture 61 to accommodate a fastening screw 62 threaded into the dial support so that an adjustment is available for the desired gating of the dial needles relatively to the cylinderneedles.

The wheels 56and 58 may be formed with smooth exteriors and may be constructed of metal or of plastic material such as nylon. One of the wheels such as wheel 56' illustrated in FIG. 3 may be formed with a knurled periphery 63. The protruding lands provided by the knurling Will find interstices in the knit fabric so that the Wheel 56' will grip between the fibers or yarns of a knit fabric Web. The use of a knurled fabric wheel will minimize any Change in spacing between the wheels 56 and 58' should the fabric density change and therefore, the registration of cylinder and dial needles will remain substantially constant.

The Wheels 56 and 58 as thus far described provide a drive connection between the cylinder and the dial which would be effective to drive the dial and to maintain the desired needle registration. With such an arrangement, however, the movement of the fabric web between the Wheels would provide for the turning of the wheels. The added load imposed on a restricted area of the fabric Web in order to turn the wheels 56 and 58 would distort the fabric Web in its travel from the needles and consequently would tend to influence the stitch formation in this restricted area and result in a lengthwise mark in the fabric Web where engaged by the rollers.

This invention provides a means for positively driving the wheels independently of the fabric web so that not only is the fabric web relieved of the forces necessary to turn the wheels, but the wheels will assist the feed of the fabric web from the needles. The peripheral speed at which the wheels 56 and 58 are driven by the arrangement of this invention is moreover, automatically maintained precisely in unison with the speed at which the fabric web is directed from the needles.

FIGS. 4, and 6 illustrate the fabric take-up and roll-up mechanism of a circular knitting machine and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the mechanism by which the fabric take-up mechanical is used to drive the dial drive rollers synchronously with the movements of the fabric web.

A pair of diametrically opposed depending arms 69 secured to the gear ring 13 terminate each in a depending finger 70 received loosely in upstanding sockets 71 one in each side portion 72 and 73 of a take-up and roll-up frame disposed between the legs 11 of the knitting machine. The side portions 72 and 73 of the frame are connected at the bottom by transverse braces 74 to which a flanged bearing spindle 75 is fastened. The bearing spindle 75 is journaled in bearings 76 in a machine base 77 straddling the legs 11 of the knitting machine so that as the cylinder is turned, the take-up and roll-up frame will be turned with it. Embraced in a slot 7 8 of the flange 0f the bearing spindle 75 is a shaft '79 journaled in the side portion 72 of the take-up and roll-up frame as illustrated in FIG. 6. A pinion 80 fast on the shaft '79 meshes with a ring gear 81 secured to the knitting machine base 77 so as to rotate a sprocket 82 fast on the shaft 79 as the cylinder is turned.

Rotation of the sprocket 82 is transmitted to a belt pulley 83 on the side portion 72 of the take-up and roll-up frame by way of a sprocket chain 84, a pair of idler sprockets 85, 86 a sprocket chain 87 and a sprocket 88 on the pulley 83. A belt 89 is entrained on the pulley 83 and on a pulley 90 journaled in a swinging take-up bracket 91 fulcrumed on a fabric engaging roller 92 extending between the frame side portions 72 and 73. A worm 93 operatively connected to turn in response to turning of the pulley 90 meshes with a worm wheel 94 fast on the roller 92. A second fabric engaging roller 95 is journaled in the bracket 91 and a counterweight 96 is secured in the bracket 91 to provide tension in the belt 89.

The fabric is directed from the needles downwardly and beneath the roller 95, over the roller 92 and then downwardly onto a roll-up shaft 97 journaled on a pair of swinging levers 93 fulcrumed on the side portions 73 and 74 of the frame. The fabric wrapped on the rollup shaft 97 rests on a roller 99 carrying a sprocket 100 and driven by a sprocket chain 101 from a sprocket 102 on the fabric engaging roller 92.

The drive to the belt 89 is designed to provide for a belt speed slightly in excess of that required to provide the desired take-up action so that when the belt 89 is tight on the pulley 90, the bracket 91 will be gradually turned counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 6. Such movement of the bracket 91 will, however, loosen the belt 89 on the pulley 90 and effect suflicient slippage as determined by the size of the counterweight 96 so as automatically to maintain a uniform take-up action on the fabric web.

The speed of rotation of the take-up roller 92 and by the same token of the roller 99 which rolls up the fabric is therefore automatically maintained in perfect synchroni-sm with the velocity of movement of the fabric web. A sprocket 105 on the roller 99 is drivingly connected by means of a sprocket chain 106 to a sprocket 107 on a shaft 108 in the side portion 73 of the take-up frame. By means of bevel gears 109 on the shaft 108 and on a vertical shaft 110 journaled in the take-up frame side portion '73 and a pair of universal couplings 111, 112 connected by an inclined shaft 113, a drive is complete to a stud shaft 114 journaled in a lateral arm 115 formed on the bracket 50 on the needle cylinder of the knitting machine. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a bevel gear 116 on the stud shaft 114 meshes with the bevel gear 54 to which the beveled wheel 56 is secured.

With a proper selection of sprocket and gear sizes, the peripheral speed of the beveled wheel 56 will be identical to the velocity of movement of the fabric webs. By virtue of the beveled wheel drive by way of the fabric take-up mechanism, the velocity of the periphery of the dial driving wheel 56 and of the fabric web will be maintained in unison automatically during knitting machine operation.

In the modified form of construction illustrated in FIG. 7 the needle cylinder 20 is constructed and arranged as in the version illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 but the dial 35 and dial cam ring 39 are supported differently.

A support yoke 120 secured as by fastening bolts 121 to upright standards 122 on the housing ring 12 is formed with a central hub portion 123 in which is fitted a sleeve portion 124 of a dial cam ring support 125 to which the dial cam ring 39 is secured. The dial cam ring support 125 is secured relatively to the support yoke 120 by a nut 126 threadedly engaging the sleeve portion 124 and is positioned angularly relatively to the support yoke 120 by an adjusting screw 127 which cooperates with a locating pin 128 depending from the support yoke 120.

Journaled in the sleeve 124 is an axially bored stud shaft 130 sustained vertically by means of a bearing collar 131 and lock nuts 132 threaded on the stud shaft.

A dial support 133 is secured to the stud shaft 130 as by screws 134 and the dial 35 carrying the dial needles 37 is secured to the dial support 133.

Fast on an upper reduced diameter extension 135 of the stud shaft 130 above the lock nuts 132 is a cam disk which is, therefore, arranged to turn with the dial. The cam disk 140 carries about its periphery a series of cams such as the spaced cam buttons 141.

In the modification illustrated in FIG. 7, a knurled wheel journaled on a stud 151 secured in the gear ring 13 to which the needle cylinder is fastened, abuts a knurled wheel 152 fast on a shaft 153 journaled in a bearing block 154 secured beneath the dial support 133. Upon rotation of the cylinder, the dial will therefore be driven 'by way of the abutting wheels 150, 152.

In order that the wheels 150 and 152 may be driven at a peripheral speed equal to that of the fabric web issuing from the knitting needles, a sprocket 155 fast on the shaft 153 is connected by means of a chain 156 to a sprocket 157 fast on a shaft 158 journaled transversely in a depending extension 159 of the stud shaft 130.

A shaft 160 journaled in the axial bore of the stud shaft 130 carries at its lower extremity a worm 161 which meshes with a worm wheel 162 fast on the shaft 158. At its upper extremity, the shaft 160 has fast thereon a gear 163 of which the teeth are engaged by a locking lever 164 pivoted as at 165 on a bracket 166 carried on the support yoke 120 of the knitting machine frame. A spring 167 biases the locking lever 164 into engagement with the teeth of the gear 163.

With the gear 163 and thus the worm 161 held stationary by the locking lever 164, rotation of the cylinder and dial 35 in unison by the interengagement of the wheels 150 and 152 will cause the wheel 152 to be rotated by virtue of the connections 153 and 155-158 to the worm wheel 162. The worm 161, worm wheel 162 and driving connections 153 and 155-158 are purposely designed so as to rotate the wheel 152 at a peripheral speed slightly in excess of the velocity of travel of the knit fabric issuing from the knitting instrumentalities.

A correction is made by the action of the cam buttons 141 which periodically engage a cam follower portion 168 of the locking lever and shift the locking lever out of engagement with the gear 163. During periods when the locking lever 164 is disengaged from the gear 163, the gear 163 and the worm 161 are freed to turn with the cylinder and dial and the rotation of the wheel 152 is suspended. By selection of the proper number or spacing of the cam buttons 141, a precise correlation of the peripheral speed of the wheel 152 with the linear velocity of the knit fabric may be attained.

It will be appreciated that while a single pair of wheels 56-58 and 150, 152 are illustrated in the disclosed embodiments, additional sets of such wheels may be utilized if desired.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention what I claim herein is:

1. A dial drive for a. cylinder and dial knitting machine comprising a pair of wheels disposed in peripheral abutting relation, one of said wheels having a knurled periphery, wheel supporting means journa'lling said wheels on axes substantially radially of said cylinder one on said cylinder and the other on said dial, and mechanism responsive to turning movement of said cylinder for rotating one of said wheels about its own axis.

2. In a circular knitting machine having a pair of coaxially arranged needle supporting members each sustaining a bank of knitting needles adapted to cooperate in the formation of a knit fabric web, and a fabric takeup mechanism operable to draw said fabric web between said needle supporting members, mechanism interconnecting said needle supporting members for turning movement in unison comprising a pair of interengaging wheels journaled one on each of said needle supporting members, a wheel rotating mechanism, and means for varying the effectiveness of said wheel rotating mechanism to impart a peripheral velocity to at least one of said pair of interengaging wheels equal to the velocity at which the fabric web is drawn by said take-up mechanism.

3. In a circular knitting machine having a pair of coaxially arranged needle supporting members each sustaining a bank of knitting needles adapted to cooperate in the formation of a knit fabric web, and a fabric takeup mechanism including fabric engaging rollers adapted to draw said fabric web between said needle supporting members, a variable speed drive for said fabric engaging rollers, and means for regulating said variable speed drive to maintain substantially constant tension on said fabric web, mechanism interconnecting said needle supporting members for turning movement in unison comprising a pair of interengaging wheels journaled one on each of said needle supporting members, and driving connections between one of said rollers of said fabric take-up mechanism and one of said wheels effective to rotate said wheel at a peripheral velocity equal to the 5 peripheral velocity of said take-up mechanism roller.

4. A dial drive for a cylinder and dial knitting machine adapted to produce a knit fabric which passes between said cylinder and dial, comprising a pair of interengaging wheels, means journaling said wheels on axes substantially radially of said cylinder one on said cylinder and one on said dial, drive means responsive to turning movement of said cylinder for rotating one of said wheels about its own axis, and means responsive to the linear velocity of the knit fabric passing between said cylinder and dial for regulating said drive means.

5. A dial drive for a cylinder and dial knitting machine comprising a pair of interengaging wheels, wheel supporting means journa-ling said Wheels on axes substantially radially of said cylinder one on said cylinder and the other on said dial, drive mechanism responsive to turning movement of said cylinder for rotating one of said wheels about its own axis, and means for imposing a preselected corrective influence on said drive means for maintaining rotation of said one of said wheels at a predetermined average rate relatively to turning movement of said cylinder.

6. In a circular knitting machine having a frame, a cylinder and a dial arranged coaxially of said cylinder in said frame, banks of knitting needles sustained in said cylinder and in said dial and adapted to cooperate in the formation of a knit fabric web which passes therebetween, drive means operatively connected to impart turning movement to said cylinder relatively to said frame, and means for imparting turning movement to 35. said dial comprising a pair of interengaging wheels disposed at opposite sides of the knit fabric web being produced on the knitting machine and journaled one on said cylinder and the other on said dial, a worm journaled in said frame coaxially of said cylinder and dial, means for locking said worm in fixed position relatively to said frame, drive means operatively connected to rotate one of said interengaging wheels about its own axis, said drive means including a worm wheel carried for turning movement with said cylinder and in meshing engagement with said worm, and means for periodically releasing said means for locking said worm in fixed position relatively to said frame.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which said means for locking said worm in fixed position relatively to said frame comprises a toothed gear fast relatively to said worm and a locking lever carried on said frame and biased into engagement with said toothed gear and in which said means for periodically releasing said locking means comprises a cam rotated in timed relation with said cylinder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 421,147 2/1890 Scott et al 6628 X 551,804 2/1895 Wilson 6628 727,465 5/ 1903 Scott et al 66153 1,168,041 1/1916 Williams 6628 1,571,855 2/1926 Mac Namee 6628 2,717,510 9/1955 Wilkie 6628 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,103,505 3/1961 Germany.

ROBERT R. MACKEY, Acting Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

C, REYNOLDS; A-S-Jislflnt Examiner. 

1. A DIAL DRIVE FOR A CYLINDER AND DIAL KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING A PAIR OF WHEELS DISPOSED IN A PERIPHERAL ABUTTING RELATION, ONE OF SAID WHEELS HAVING A KNURLED PERIPHERY, WHEEL SUPPORTING MEANS JOURNALLING SAID WHEELS ON AXES SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY OF SAID CYLINDER ONE ON SAID CYLINDER AND THE OTHER ON SAID DIAL, AND MECHANISM RESPONSIVE TO TURNING MOVEMENT OF SAID CYLINDER FOR ROTATING ONE OF SAID WHEELS ABOUT ITS OWN AXIS. 